Cicatrices Bellorum
Motto "To be born is to begin to learn to die. To live is to begin to learn to die properly." Origin and Charter The Cicatrices Bellorum, literally translated ‘Scars of War’, is based on one absolute principle: the world as we see it is shaped and changed through war. This concept, while extreme and mildly distasteful, has proven throughout history to be true. With this understanding, we of the Cicatrices seek to perfect ourselves and the art of war. The organization does not primarily concern itself with right or wrong, nor does it have any significant goals in mind; we merely seek to better ourselves through temperance in combat. This mindset is applied through each individual within the guild; therefore interpretation and execution vary from person to person. Throughout the course of Cicatrices training, members are expected to focus primarily on three major attributes: social presence (leadership qualities), martial prowess (strength) and intellectual advancement (both in the conventional sense and in terms of tactical superiority). With this in mind, it would be a grave disservice to say that we are driven by bloodlust, or to claim that Cicatrices pay no heed to honor or nobility; on the contrary, we merely seek another route by which to attain our ‘understanding’ of the world. Philosophy Cicatrices Bellorum are born, bred, live and die for one reason; to fight. This decision and choice of lifestyle was made following the discovery of one all-consuming truth; whether we like it or not, whether we accept it or deny it, the world as we see it is and has been forged by war. The generations before us knew this and lived as such; our fathers, our fathers' fathers, and their ancestors fought for what they believed in. The Cicatrices are simply another generation, yet we are one which embraces this truth, understanding ourselves to be the product of centuries of bloodshed. We do not believe ourselves to be any different from our ancestors; we still fight for what we believe in; we simply believe in fighting. For humans, perfection is a natural desire, but many people agree that there are various sorts of perfection; there is perfection of learning, perfection of teaching, perfection of leading, perfection of the mind, body and soul. Too many manners of perfection to count, let alone actually perfect. The Cicatrices believe that in natural struggle one can achieve these perfections; to be a perfect warrior, a perfect general, a perfect leader, even a perfect spiritual guide. In battle and between battles, before battles and after battles, these assets are stressed and tested, flexed and broken. Cicatrices live and die, breathe and fight, love and hate, just as any other person might; yet we do so always striving to overcome these obstacles, always struggling towards perfection. Following these beliefs, the Cicatrices Bellorum was created; an organization with no purpose other than to fight. I once said to a clanmate: "The bee fertilizes that very thing which it robs", to which she responded: "Then let us sow the seeds of war, that we may rob this world of it"."As per Nihilum. Mission Statement and Statement of Intent Cicatrices seek to perform in any given task to the maximum extent of our abilities and to probe routes by which we might improve our performance. Every challenge becomes a test, a method of progression and a measure of one’s own abilities. In this pursuit, we demand precise measurement; deceit and trickery only serve to water down the result, thereby rendering the product worthless. This means that fighting one-sided battles becomes meaningless; the Cicatrices only put value into fair fights or fights in which the odds are stacked against us. There are three major exceptions to this rule, during which Cicatrices Bellorum may opt to use overwhelming force in independent engagements: * Griefing: If hostile action is taken against any member of the Cicatrices, the aggressor is understood to accept the repercussions of his decision, and the response of the Cicatrices will be ruthless. * Clan Wars: The Cicatrices view a war as an all-inclusive engagement; as a result, individual battles through the course of the war are included in the overall ‘fairness’ of the war as a whole, and thus exempt from standard rules of honorable engagement. In this instance, a clan accepting a war with the Cicatrices thereby acknowledges that they believe their clan to be a worthy adversary, and thus lend credibility to the fairness of the war. * Sieges: A castle, town, fortress or other embattlement is a bastion of combat, a shrine of battle and a tool of war, therefore it should only be held by those worthy of that responsibility. In a siege, the Cicatrices will use all of the assets at their disposal to test both themselves and the mettle of their opponent. A castle should only be held by those with the determination, strength and honor to deserve it. Regardless of the situation or circumstances, any member of Cicatrices Bellorum who is challenged to a fair duel is honor-bound to accept, and understands that the duel becomes a test of their own personal achievements as a warrior. Exchange of wealth pending the outcome of a duel of honor is frowned upon, such as taking the losing warrior’s weapon or other equipment, and will only be allowed by either side if the exchange is fair and agreed upon by both parties before the duel begins. If an opposing force is not currently engaged in a war with Cicatrices or its allies, they may invoke the right to one-on-one combat, in which each side will choose their most qualified warrior (or team of warriors, if necessary) to compete against one another. The result of these duels will be agreed upon before the duel commences and after the warriors are chosen, and can range anywhere from simple withdrawal of armed forces to exchanges of wealth, with the losing side fulfilling the agreement. Symbol About the symbol of Cicatrices Bellorum, Nihilum has said the following: The symbol has many interpretations. I drew it thinking of the three most important qualities that a Cicatrix needs to have: leadership ability, intelligence and martial prowess. Those three ideals are idealized in the three 'arms', but it's no coincidence that they're shaped like drops of liquid. Some people choose to interpret them as blood, sweat and tears. One symbolizing physical pain, one symbolizing physical struggle, the other symbolizing emotional stress. The orb in the center, when I was thinking of the concept for it, was representative of our idea of 'perfection'. The three arms lead to it, but it's always both out of our reach and at the core of our being. The ring around it, in the center, represents those who have the title 'Cicatrix'. The three arms (representing the philosophy of Cicatrices) stem from them and are offered support by them, but they're also the closest thing to our idea of perfection without actually being in contact with it. The outer ring, which protects the entire symbol from the 'outside' world while offering further support to our philosophies, represents the clan as a whole. The arms passing through that ring, because they taper to a point, are symbolic of the ideas represented in our philosophy being refined and specified as we examine and practice them. In a nutshell, that's what I was thinking when I sketched out the design. It happened to turn out well so we began using it. I do, however, encourage most people to find their own interpretations of the symbol and the pieces of the symbol. Ranks and Structure Commentary: It should be noted that these ranks are used strictly internally in Cicatrices Bellorum, and the soldiers in Cicatrices Bellorum will assume standard ranks in the armed forces of their employers, for ease of communication. This information is merely supplied to give more understanding and depth to the internal workings of the Cicatrices Bellorum. Cicatrix This is the title of our leaders, and it just means 'scar'. They don't directly lead any soldiers, but it's their responsibility to organize, train, plan and oversee PvP. They issue objectives to the squads and guide them, but the nittygritty decision-making is left almost entirely to each squad's leader. Decanus This is the title given to squad leaders, although that will probably change because it means 'leader of ten men' and since choosing the name, we have decided to limit the number of people in a squad to eight. A Decanus is recognized as a leader among men, but not necessarily as the best PvPer in a squad. He must be extremely intelligent, very motivational, and highly ambitious. When we give a squad an objective, it's the Decanus who's expected to discover the most efficient way to accomplish that objective. Meanwhile, he must also be observant enough to notice the things that are important and relay the information back to a Cicatrix; whether that information is troops being where they're not supposed to be or troops not being where they're supposed to be. Every little detail allows us to tweak the tactics and ensure victory more efficiently. Extollo Directly below the Decanus is the Extollo. Extollo literally means 'exalted one', and this person is the best PvPer in the squad. If it helps, the Extollo can be considered a drill sergeant among a squad; he has next to no leadership authority, but when it comes to training the squadmates he's seen as a mentor and a role model. In the case that a squad needs to accomplish two objectives simultaneously, it splits into two groups of four people each. When this happens, the Decanus leads three men and the Extollo leads the other three. As such, the Extollo doesn't need to be as good as the Decanus in terms of leadership, but he certainly can't be stupid. Regardless, it's assumed that the Extollo of a squad will learn from the Decanus of that squad, and vice versa. Chalybs These are the standard infantry. Because they're in Cicatrices they need to excel at teamwork, PVP, tactical analysis and observing the environment... but as far as Cicatrices' standards go, they don't truly excel in any of these regions. When a Chalybs begins developing, we usually determine in which areas he excels and promote him accordingly (Decanus or Extollo). Vernula A fluid 'ninth' squad member. This title is given to new recruits in Cicatrices, who are then attached to a squad to learn more about us and how we work. It's ultimately up to the squad members to decide when their Vernula is ready to join Cicatrices as a Chalybs, and when six Vernula are deemed ready, a new squad is created. Seven Simple Laws First A Vernula shall listen to all, a Chalybs and an Extollo shall listen to a Decanus, a Decanus shall listen to a Cicatrix. Only in the absence of Decanus and Cicatrix may an Extollo lead. (See also: Ranks) Second Heed the call of peace as you would the call of war, for one without the other becomes worthless. Commentary: "We're not supposed to start wars, only finish them." Third Never flee, never surrender. Combat is a test of worth, scars are lessons of worth, death is the limit of worth. Fight until you can no longer fight, so that you may understand and expand your limitations. Commentary: "This mentions 'fleeing', not 'retreating'. There's a difference, as one involves losing control to complete terror and the other reflects a tactical decision." Fourth Recognize the will of your employer, for that is your duty and without duty we are nothing. If commanded to retreat, do not argue; understand that your employer sounded the retreat and it is your duty to obey, Retreat may be cowardly, but failing to uphold your duty is dishonorable. Commentary: "The fourth is to state very clearly that duty comes before pride." Fifth Learn that your brothers and sisters shed blood with you, and make that your pact with them. Praise your comrades, teach your comrades, learn from your comrades, but never take the blood or blade of a comrade. Commentary: "The fifth simply states... that our clan functions as a family would. It's a sin of the utmost evil to harm a brother or sister, but it's almost as bad not to learn from them and support them." Sixth Respect the laws and customs of your patron territory. If they conflict with your own, still your hand and tongue with tolerance. It is better to be quiet and offended than loud and ignorant. Commentary: "The sixth is simply a lesson in tolerance; even if we don't agree with what someone says, we should make it a point to be the more tolerant. Being quiet and reserved is a great weapon, and tolerance is a great shield." Seventh Remember above all that we fight for what we believe in, and that we believe in fighting. Let your conviction be your sword and shield, and never falter on the path to perfection. Recruitment The Cicatrices Bellorum does actively recruit new members, but we do so very carefully. To join the clan, one must first be capable of understanding and speaking English. In addition, the individual should have an avid interest in Player-versus-Player (PvP) combat and willingness to work as a part of a team. Note that there is no requirement for an individual to be skilled at PvP combat or to have prior PvP experience; interest in PvP is enough, learning and practice will come with time. These qualities alone are generally insufficient to provide recruitment, and other methods may need to be exercised. Occasionally Cicatrices Bellorum will hold private tournaments and invite those who have expressed interest; during these tournaments applicants fight one another as well as current members of the clan, and are assessed appropriately. Martial skill is examined, but more importantly dedication, sportsmanship and stubbornness are very closely examined. Another method is befriending a current member, wherein we can very easily assess the personality and standards of potential recruits. In the end, joining the ranks of the Cicatrices is not an easy task, nor is it an endeavor which should be solely pursued; we pick out and contact those who we feel would fit well within our clan, not those who seek us out and attempt to flare their egos. Screenshots and Video The Maiden Voyage of the Ventosia Details soon of this thrilling adventure! Lineage 2 TehGamers thumb|300px|rightCicatrices Bellorum in Lineage 2 TehGamers; this is our pvp encounter versus DarkDreams, a clan with which we were allied during our war against HellsLegion. When HellsLegion collapsed, our alliance split up because we didn't want to dominate the server, and so fights like this became more and more common. This particular time, Cicatrices was outnumbered 2 to 1 and DarkDreams fought us 3 times; in the course of all three fights we lost a single member. Teamwork for the win. The Cicatrices Bellorum team in this battle is, left to right (and using the first line as reference) Tirok, Severitas, Eradico (he's glowy!), Vainkiss, Nihilum (sitting in the front), PickPointed (we think, but can't remember... it may have been Aldarion), Exuro, and some Overlord (whose name we cannot remember). In the back is our Cardinal; we're pretty sure it was CareBear. (Credit and much love go to Severitas for making the video.) Contact Our Forums :http://www.cicatrices.iftleague.com/ Sample Recruitment Post at the DarkfallOnline Official Forums :http://forums.darkfallonline.com/showthread.php?t=185925 IRC Look for #cicatrices on Stratics IRC servers, or click below: ::irc://irc.stratics.com/cicatrices Email cicatricesbellorum@yahoo.com Members For more information, contact Laylah Kindred, our Herald or PM Nihilum Slater, Exuro Aers, or Laylah Kindred in-game. References Category:Cl-Servername Category:Roleplay Clans